Green Bay grabs former Malden High star

Somewhere right now, Breno Giacomini is perfecting his Lambeau Leap, and for good reason.

Christopher Hurley

Somewhere right now, Breno Giacomini is perfecting his Lambeau Leap and for good reason.

The Green Bay Packers drafted the former Malden High football star in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2008 National Football League draft Sunday.

“It feels pretty good,” said Giacomini, 22, a 6-foot-7, 303-pound offensive lineman who recently graduated from Louisville. “I just wanted to get my name called. It didn’t matter when, but that’s the area I was expected to go in. It just feels good that my name was finally called. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Like most draft-eligible players, Giacomini was glued to his television all weekend long watching the NFL Draft live on ESPN. Projected to go anywhere between the fourth and sixth round, the former Greater Boston League All-Star realized his day would more than likely come on Sunday, but he couldn’t help to get a sneak preview as to what to expect.

“I watched it [Saturday] just to get the feel for it,” said Giacomini, whose family threw him a special graduation/draft barbeque at his father’s Cherry Street home on Sunday.

After a couple of anxious hours as a spectator, the Malden High grad was relieved to finally get the call from Green Bay, moments before they made a fifth-round pick.

“Once it was their selection they called me and told me, ‘Be ready, we’re going to get you,’” Giacomini said. “I didn’t even get to finish talking to the coach before it appeared on ESPN.”

Although he isn’t too familiar with Wisconsin, Giacomini knows plenty about the history of the Packers.

“They probably have one of the best traditions in football,” said Giacomini. “I’ve followed [quarterback] Brett Favre for a long time, even when they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. There is just a tradition up there that you won’t get anywhere else.”

Although it’s a long way from his Malden home, Giacomini shouldn’t get too lonely in Green Bay. He’ll be reunited with Louisville quarterback Steve Brohm, who was selected by the Packers in the second round (56th overall), along with another Cardinal alum and current Packer player Jason Spitz.

“I’ve heard there is nothing to do in Green Bay,” said Giacomini. “So at least another guy from Louisville will be up there. But that might be a good thing that there is nothing to do there, because I’m totally going to concentrate on football and getting better.”

Another facet of the game Giacomini will undoubtedly look to perfect is the infamous Lambeau Leap, a celebration move in which Packer players routinely jump into the end zone stands in a celebration. Legend has it LeRoy Butler invented the Leap after a Reggie White fumble recovery and lateral against the L.A. Raiders in 1993.

“I’m not going to do that unless I pick up a fumble or something,” said Giacomini, with a laugh. “But it’s just a place full of tradition and that’s what I like. Hopefully I’ll play up there for a long time.”

A versatile player throughout his high school and college career, Giacomini alternated between tight end to tackle while with Louisville. Despite the constant shifting, Packers offensive line coach James Campen believes that Giacomini has the feet to play left or right tackle.

“He posses a lot of very high ability to learn,” Campen said. “If you watched his first game to the end, he improves steadily throughout the season. From a technique standpoint, its more of an awareness kind of standpoint, playing at this level will be a big adjustment for him. But he punches well, he's got good feet, he stays on his feet, all the things you look for from a big person, he does those things.”

“He is an intense player,” he added. “He plays with a lot of emotion and he will play to the whistle and then some. He’s a very physical player.”

Giacomini is already gearing up.

“I have a lot to be thankful for and know a lot of hard work is in front of me,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll settle down a little bit, but I’m just going to enjoy the experience right now.”